Torche-"Songs for Singles" and "Torche"

Torche is a  band that i've recently started getting in to. i started out with their self-titled re-issue and was immediately hooked by the catchy dissonance of the opening track, "Charge of the Brown Recluse." They were sludgy, slow, and catchy, living up to their self-proclaimed (i guess) "stoner pop" tag. Now, we have "Songs for Singles," a record which showcases the songwriting of the (now) trio. The record begins with "U.F.O.," which is more of an uptempo song. This tricked me into thinking i was playing the record at the wrong speed, as i started it out at 33 rpm, which made the music sound "like Torche," but completely screwed up the vocals. When i played it at 45rpm, the music sounded like some sort of pop-punk band (or at least, the lead guitar line in the song). Anyways, this record plays at 45rpm.

In all, i enjoyed the entire record. The ironic and self-aware sticker on the cover of the record, wherein the band's drummer describes the record as "radio-rock bullshit" is not quite true, as this album is nothing like Godsmack, Distrubed, Stone Sour, or Nickelback, but a sound all its own. A note on the packaging is order, as well. The packaging has been slightly controversial as many in the "record collecting community" dislike the letter aesthetic that this record employs. Personally, i thought that the idea was different and interesting. i also thought that the use of red lipstick kisses to demarcate sides one from two was a new and fun idea. The whole aesthetic is tied together (in my case, at least) with nice white 180g vinyl, which matches the white cover and inner record sleeve.

As i said before, the only other Torche album i own is the self-titled album, which is a bit different from the content of "Songs for Singles." i've included pictures of both albums in my post today, as Torche has quite a reputation for the packaging of their albums (the legendary "Meanderthal," of course, set this precedent). The colored vinyl, as well, makes for a great aesthetic experience with each album.

If you enjoy stoner/sludge metal bands, you probably already know of Torche (i'm often late to the party). If you are not yet familiar, they are certainly worth your time.